Legacy's Garden
by Pawprinter
Summary: The first time Morgan tells Peter "I love you 3000," he isn't too sure how to react. {To Infinity and Beyond series, part 5}


**This fic is canon compliant to what has been established in the MCU, including "Avengers: Endgame." You might have seen the tag "Implied/Referenced Character Death" – this is due to Tony's death in "Endgame."**

**This fic focuses on the family relationships between Peter, Pepper, Morgan, May and Tony. Specifically, there is a lot of Peter and Pepper, and Peter and Morgan in this fic. Happy is also there because how could I not include him?**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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**Legacy's Garden**

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_"__Legacy is planting seeds in a garden you never get to see." – Hamilton_

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Two years.

It had been two years since they won. It had been two years since the universe gained so much.

It had also been two years since _they _lost_. _The world might have returned to normal – people were returned, families were reunited, missing gaps across the universe were filled – but the world also lost one of its best defenders.

_Tony. _

It had been two years since they lost Tony.

Anniversaries of the Battle of Earth were never fun.

The first anniversary was filled with celebrations and parties in the evening, and press during the day for both Pepper and Peter. It was _horrible _to endure. Why were they celebrating when it was the anniversary of the day they lost Tony? Why did they have to pretend everything was okay when _it most definitely wasn't._

Peter wanted to rip off his Spider-Man mask and scream at the reporters. He wanted to tell the world to leave them alone – to let them mourn. He was angry – _he was so angry._

Of course, he understood why they were celebrating. A wrong was made right. Billions upon billions of people were brought back from the dead. He was one of them – he knew the joys that came with that day first hand. He was thankful that he was brought back to life. He was thankful that he was given this second opportunity.

But he was angry. He knew people mourned and missed Iron Man. Murals were painted around the world. Documentaries were made. His legacy was crystalized. People missed him – of course they did.

_But did they miss Tony Stark? _It was a hard thing to figure out. Did they miss Iron Man? Did they only miss the machine that saved the worlds dozens of times? Or did they miss _him? _Did they miss Tony – the man behind the suit?

So, yes, he was angry. He was mad that the world often forgot about the man behind the armour. He was mad that reporters were pressing Pepper on questions. He was mad that people were laughing and celebrating when he felt miserable inside.

May told him it was okay to be mad. She told him that he was _allowed _to be mad – that it was all part of the healing process. Of course, being who he was, he still felt guilty at times.

The first anniversary of Tony's death was hard. At lunch time, between interviews, Peter found Pepper crying in Tony's old lab at the tower. He joined her.

Even Morgan had a rough day. The school held celebrations on the anniversary, and she was forced to see photo after photo of her dad in the Iron Man armour.

The second anniversary, they all vowed to do something different. Pepper refused to do anymore press on the anniversary. Peter didn't want to either – and he didn't want to walk in on Pepper sobbing over one of Tony's old AC/DC shirts in the lab. Pepper didn't want Morgan going to school that day either, for obvious reasons.

So, they decided to escape the city.

Peter, Morgan, Pepper, May, and Happy were spending the weekend at a cabin off the grid. Even though the days leading up to the anniversary were rough, Peter knew it would've been worse in the city. New York was full of ghosts and reminders of a rough past.

This year, instead of walking in on Pepper sobbing over Tony's shirt in his lab, he walked in on her and Morgan dancing to an old radio, laughing so hard she was crying. Morgan was laughing too, and laughed harder once Happy came up behind her and threw her into the air.

Morgan had become a central part of his world. She was his sister in everything but blood. They both looked up to Tony as a father figure (or, just purely a father, in her case). He loved her from the moment he met her.

Over the last two years, he had babysat her, comforted her when she was upset, and took care of her when she was sick. He celebrated all her birthdays, and helped her with science projects, and took her to museums. He'd give up _anything _to make her happy because she was his sister. He didn't think he ever loved anyone like he loved Morgan. She was family.

She reminded him of Tony in ways he never expected. There were the obvious ways – like her eyes, which were almost exact replicas of Tony's. Then there was her hair, which was only a few shades lighter than his. She also had his heart of gold – although, hers wasn't protected by layer after layer or iron. She didn't know betrayal or hurt, so she never adapted by building the same walls of protection Tony had.

(Peter would be dammed if he stood by while she experienced the same hardships her father had to.)

She was brighter than all the stars in the sky, she was sweeter than sugar, and she always managed to make things feel like they were going to be okay. It was hard to look at someone so curious and optimistic and innocent and still be angry at the world.

It was beautiful. He got to watch someone grow, and learn, and become someone even more amazing than she already was.

Morgan was special. She was his favourite girl.

(May was okay with this. After all, Morgan was her favourite girl, too.)

The night before the anniversary of the return (of Tony's sacrifice), Peter felt like his stomach was turning to lead. No matter how much time passed, he doubted he would ever feel any different when the anniversary came around. It felt like his stomach was squirming inside of him. His throat felt oddly tight, and his body felt distant from his head.

It felt like he was drowning. Or suffocating.

He mourned and grieved and began to heal years ago. He knew he'd always have scars on his heart – he knew this first hand from losing his parents and Ben – but he knew they would just be that. _Scars. _They weren't gaping wounds anymore. It didn't hurt to breathe like it did one year and nine months ago. His mind wasn't constantly plagued with thoughts of dying, or other people dying, or Tony dying.

He was better. _He was. _It was the anniversary that made him feel like he was dying again – like he was slowly turning to ashes. He could still feel that flicker of hopelessness in his chest – the same one he had when Tony was in front of him, dying.

It was strange how dates made him feel this way. How could a simple day on the calendar make him feel like it was only _days _since he said goodbye to Tony, not years?

"Petey!" Morgan threw herself down on Peter's lap, breaking him from his thoughts.

He sucked in a quick breath and blinked a few times, willing himself back into the present. He didn't want to keep thinking about the past, and he was thankful for the distraction Morgan provided.

"Hey, squirt." Peter ruffled her hair and tipped his head back, letting it fall to the cushion on the couch. He blinked away the darkness plaguing the corners of his mind. "What's up?"

"Mommy said you can tuck me in tonight," she said, pulling on his hands eagerly. Her tiny fingers were locked on the sleeve of his shirt and the remnants of a juicy pop smeared across her face.

Peter snorted as soon as he caught sight of it and leaned forward. "Oh, is that right, mommy?"

Pepper, who was doing some last minute business arrangements at the small kitchen table, yelled back a response. "Mhmm. Good luck with that one."

With that, Morgan let out a cackle and pulled on Peter's arm again. Second by second, the drowning feeling that had taken over him only moments ago was subsiding. Just being around her made his worries fade away.

"First, we need to get you cleaned up, hm?" Peter got off the couch with Morgan balanced on his hip. She let out a squeal as he tossed her a few inches into the air. The sound of her laughter made his chest fill with warmth.

As he walked towards the room she claimed for the weekend, he wiped her mouth with the sleeve of his sweater. She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him, which was impossible not to laugh at.

"You had juicy pops all over your face," he told her.

She pouted. "I know. I was _saving _it for later."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, really? A midnight snack?"

For emphasis, she licked her lips loudly. "It _was._"

Peter pushed open the bedroom door and tried to suppress his smile. "Sorry, kiddo. I'll give you another one tomorrow to make up for it, kay?" To show her acceptance of the idea, she reached up and ruffled Peter's hair.

_God, _this kid was something else. It looked like she had turned to ruffling _his _hair in affection, just like he did with her.

He let out a short laugh and placed her on her bed. As she crawled under the covers, he adjusted his position on the edge of the bed, already trying to think of a good bedtime story. If he knew one thing about Morgan, it was the fact she could _never _sleep without a story.

Sure enough, she requested a bedtime story. While he wasn't the best at telling them, it was easy to get lost when telling her about the time Ned first saw him in his Spider-Man suit. Peter took pleasure at her gasp of horror when he described how the Death Star fell back to the floor in thousands of pieces. She couldn't contain her laughter when he told her how Ned asked her if he could lay eggs the following day.

"What if you had eight eyes?!" She laughed harder. "Or… or if you _could _lay eggs. I'd be an _aunt _wouldn't I?"

There was so much to unpack with that statement, so he decided not to bother.

Morgan didn't seem to notice – she kept talking. "Wait! You know Uncle Scott?"

"Mhmm."

"Well, you know how he turns himself tiny?"

He wasn't too sure where she was going with this. "Yeah?"

"And how he has a _billion _pet ants?"

"Sure."

She was in hysterics at this point. "Well, he is Ant-Man, right? And you're Spider-Man? What if-" She could barely get the words out, she was laughing so hard. "What if _you _could turn tiny and had a billion pet spiders?"

He couldn't help but double over in laughter at that idea.

The next ten minutes was filled with similar observations made by Morgan. It was never a dull day with that kid, and Peter wouldn't trade it for a thing.

It didn't take long for her to tire out. After making a joke about _him _turning into a real spider, she quieted and snuggled into her pillow.

Her voice was small when she next spoke. "Pete?"

His gaze locked on her immediately, a sense of protectiveness swelling. It sounded like something was wrong. "Is everything okay?"

She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and nodded. On pure instinct, he reached forward and brushed a stray stand of her hair away from her eyes.

"I had fun today," she said simply. She caught his hand before he could pull it away, and her fingers gripped onto his. "You had fun too?"

"The best fun," he promised her. While it wasn't the truth, it wasn't exactly a lie either. All throughout the day, it felt like he was running away from the feeling of suffocation and grief, but he couldn't deny how much fun he had with Morgan. Watching her have a tea party with Happy always seemed to brighten his day. "What was your favourite part today?"

She didn't take too long to think. "When we walked to the lake," she said. "And saw the fishes." Her face scrunched up with thought. "Or fish."

Peter smiled. "Yeah, that was lots of fun. We can go again tomorrow, if you want? Maybe we can convince your mom to let us go swimming." Her eyes brightened at that.

"Really?"

"Really. It'll be fun."

She let out a long yawn with the closure of the promise. Peter unhooked her fingers from around his hand and stood up, knowing she'd be out like a light within the next few minutes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Morg. I love you." He pulled the blanket closer to her chin and took a step towards the door. "Have a good sleep. Don't let the spider-bugs bite."

Before he could leave, she spoke again. Her voice was quiet; she was seconds away from sleeping. "Peter?"

He leaned against the door. "Yeah?"

"I love you 3000."

With those words, the air was knocked from Peter's lungs. It felt like the world was tipped on its axis. Tears were welling in his eyes _because he knew._

He knew what those numbers meant to Morgan. He knew that those numbers were something she valued the most in the world.

Those numbers were _Tony's_ numbers. He knew that trading numbers to quantify their love was their thing – it had _always _been there thing. Even when he was in the one-thousand range, it felt like he was trespassing somehow.

_But now? _Now it felt like he was thrown into a lake, a weight tied to the bottom of his feet.

_This wasn't right. _Guilt flared up – starting in his stomach, blossoming across his chest, and planted itself among the palms of his hand.

That was one of the last things she said to Tony before he died. It was how he signed every letter and every hologram he made for her on the night before the Battle of Earth.

This was Tony's thing. Not his.

"I love you to the moon and back," he told her. It was almost impossible to get words through his throat. "Goodnight."

He stumbled out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

_He felt sick._

3000 was Tony's thing. He didn't deserve to be a 3000. He didn't want to take Tony's place. It was actually one of his nightmares to take Tony's place, to tarnish his legacy.

He didn't know how he managed to, but he made it to the kitchen without falling over. Guilt had risen in him quickly. His stomach had completely inverted and he was seconds away from getting sick.

_This wasn't right. _

Mrs. Stark was leaning over a piece of paper, a pen between her lips. Just seeing her made his breathing hitch because _dammit, he was taking something away from her. _Her husband's memory was being snatched away by him.

"Pepper?" He was surprised at how shaky his voice was.

_This wasn't right._

Pepper's head whipped up quickly when she heard how distraught Peter sounded. "Hey." She must've noticed how upset Peter looked because she quickly stood up from the table, her work long forgotten. "Hey, are you okay?"

Peter shook his head and fell to the chair closest to him. He couldn't meet her gaze, so he kept his eyes locked on the kitchen sink across the room. He swallowed thickly. "I… Yeah. No. I don't think so."

She stepped closer to him and rested her hand on Peter's shoulder in silent comfort.

It felt like his heart was being held by cold hands. It felt like his stomach was bubbling with hot-red guilt.

Peter forced his eyes to meet hers. It was hard to speak past the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry."

Pepper look confused, but she didn't prompt him further. She squeezed his shoulder and smiled. Peter had to look away. He didn't deserve her comfort.

He leaned forward and rubbed his hands over his face. It felt like his skin was crawling off his body. _This wasn't right. _This was Tony's thing. He was taking something from him – something more precious than the laboratory, or DUM-E, or neck ties.

_This was his legacy. His memory. His family._

"What's wrong? Can I help?" she prompted after a few minutes of silence. She brushed a few strands of his hair, causing the lump in Peter's throat to grow. "We don't have to talk, but I'm here, Peter."

May and Happy left just over a half hour before Morgan requested to put her to bed, and Peter doubted they would be back anytime soon. Either way, he'd have a few minutes alone with Pepper.

Still, he couldn't find the right words.

Finally, she spoke again. "Is everything okay with Morgan?"

He answered immediately, not wanting to make her worry about her daughter. "She's fine," he said, his voice still tight. He glanced at Pepper again. Seeing her concern made him cave. _He was the one to come to her. Just tell her. She deserves to know. _He cleared his throat and spoke tightly. "She… uh… She told me she loved me 3000."

As soon as he spoke the words, it felt like the air around him was crushing him. He was terrified for Pepper's reaction. He didn't even want to _look _at her to see how broken this made her. He was already guilty, and he knew that seeing her expression would only hurt him more.

Instead, he focused on the dripping water from the faucet. He focused on his racing heart in his chest, and the rushing of blood through his ears, and the tightness in his muscles.

When she next spoke, he was surprised at how gentle her tone was. "Really?"

He glanced to her, expecting her to look upset or _something. _But… she wasn't. Her facial expression was soft and he could've sworn she was _smiling, _if he was judging based off the crinkles around her eyes_._

"Yeah," he said, sounding miserable. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Stark, I-" He swallowed thickly. "I…"

"Oh, Peter. You don't need to be upset over that."

"I do," he insisted. He rested his head in his hands on the table. "I… That's _his _thing." He glanced at her from between his fingers, nervous about bringing him up. He didn't want to upset her, but _she deserved to know. _"3000 is Tony's number."

Pepper's smile was sad. "That's what they used to say to each other," she agreed. She still didn't look disappointed with him, so he continued speaking.

"Tony sacrificed himself, and this is how I repay him? By stealing something from him?"

Pepper stilled at that. He could _see _her freeze a few feet away from him – from shock, from anger, he didn't know.

"What?"

"I don't deserve to be on his level. I'm not her dad. I didn't raise her." His mouth tasted sour, like the words he was speaking were poisonous. "I… Tony gave up _everything _so she could have a better like – so she could survive. All I did was… was what? _Die _for five years? Run around a battlefield for a bit? He… _He died, Mrs. Stark. _He died, and he left Morgan behind, and – and who am I to come in here? To take his spot?"

Her voice was distant when she next spoke. "I see." Peter's heart crumbled with her words.

"That's Tony's thing. That's his daughter. And…"

"And you hearing her say what she used to say to Tony makes you feel like you're taking something away from him?" Pepper voice was still soft and it caused some tension to bleed out of him. "Am I right?"

"Yeah." He swallowed thickly. "And… I feel guilty_. Really guilty_, because he isn't here anymore. And…" He rubbed his eyes.

He didn't really know where to start. All he knew was that the guilt was eating him from the inside out. It felt like he was disrespecting Tony's memory by letting Morgan say his words to him.

Tony died. Morgan would never get to know her father. He died when she was four – it was a similar age to when he lost _his _parents – and he knew that her memory of him would only fade with time.

This was one thing she had with Tony. This was _his _thing. By her saying those words to Peter, he felt like he was taking a piece of him away from his daughter. Tony already gave up so much – his life, his future with his family, _everything_ – and now he was taking away one of the last things he had.

"Peter," she said, her voice reassuring. "You aren't taking Tony's place, kiddo. Nobody can ever take his place." He managed a nod at her words. It still felt like he was drowning with guilt. "You're not taking his place – you're taking your _own _rightful place – the one that you've had since the beginning."

His eyes snapped towards her, his heart clenching in his chest. The shock from her words caused his emotions to still. "Huh?"

"Tony always dreamed of this," she told him. "He wanted you two to meet. He wanted his two children together, growing up alongside each other, being _friends._" Hearing her refer to him as Tony's kid made Peter want to sob all over again. "He wanted that more than anything. Other than maybe being able to watch you two grow up together himself," she corrected. His eyes burned with unshed tears. "You're a good brother, Peter. You've supported and loved her since the moment you met her."

"That doesn't mean I can just… Just _take _that away from him," he said, his voice raspy. While he still held onto this fear, Pepper's words were slowly lifting the crushing weight off of him. "This is his legacy, and…" He shook his head, unsure of where to go.

"No, hon, that's not it. You're not taking anything away from him." Pepper pulled her chair forward and sat directly in front of him. She caught his gaze with her own. "Morgan will always know her father loved her. _Always. _I'll never let her forget that – and neither will you, I know this." He nodded and choked back tears.

She continued talking. "This is her way of saying that she loves you more than she can say. She loved Tony so much – _so much, Peter._" Pepper was close to tears at this point. Peter could barely breathe, he was so emotional. "She associates 3000 with him, yes, but she associates it with love, too.

"She won't look at you and think of Tony because you're your own person, Peter. You _aren't _taking anything away from him. The only reason she knows that 3000 means love is _because _of him. She hears 3000 and thinks of love because of how much she loved Tony." Pepper squeezed his hand. "Every time she uses that word, she's _honouring _Tony's memory. He taught her the meaning of that word, and her using it on other people just shows how much she loved him and continues to love others."

They were both silent for a long moment. Pepper's smile was wobbly from the emotion behind her words, and Peter couldn't take it anymore. He let out a tiny sob before lunging at her, pulling her in for a hug.

Somehow, she knew exactly what he needed to hear. He never thought about it like that before. He never considered the fact that Tony taught her the meaning behind 3000, and, by her using it, it was keeping his love and his memories alive.

The guilt that had been eating away at Peter subsided. It felt like all the weights around him were lifted away, allowing him to breathe.

_He wasn't tarnishing Tony's legacy. He wasn't taking Tony's place. He wasn't disrespecting him. _Peter was beyond grateful for that. Erasing Tony's memory and taking his spot was the last thing he wanted to do.

Pepper's hand came up to rest against the back of his head. "You deserve to be told that she loves you 3000," she reassured him after a moment. "You're her brother. You've been with her – with us – through the toughest time of our lives. We wouldn't have gotten where we are without you. Don't feel like you don't deserve it, and please don't feel like you're taking something away from Tony, okay?"

While it was hard to jump right to that mentality – the one that Pepper had – he felt lighter than he did only moments ago. There was still something in his gut _nagging _at him, telling him that this wasn't his place, but he tried to ignore it.

3000 was Tony's thing, and it would _always _be his thing. By Morgan using it on other, including him, it was keeping his memory alive. _It was keeping the love he had for his children alive_. And, even though the worry that he was trying to take something away from Tony loomed in his mind, the idea that this was honouring him made him feel lighter and happier than he thought possible.

The crushing guilt and fear and remorse Peter had only minutes ago had faded away into background noise, being replaced by something else.

_Happiness. Pride. Love._

It was something special to know that this tiny human – Morgan – looked up to him with so much adoration.

"You and Morgan – you're part of the legacy Tony left behind," she added after a moment. "It isn't his suits, and it isn't Stark Industries – it's the love he had for you both. It's the impact he left on the world. You don't ever have to worry about tarnishing his legacy because _you're part of it, Peter. _You and Morgan." Pepper sniffed. "He would have loved to see you two together, you know."

Peter pulled away from Pepper's arms and let out a wet laugh. "God, I wish he were here right now."

Her chin lifted with unwavering strength. "I do too. You know what they say about people who've passed on though – they never really leave you. I see him when Morgan smiles. I hear him when she laughs." She leaned back in her chair, her sadness bleeding out of her slowly, leaving a sense of peace behind. "I see him in you, too.

"When you go out on missions, I'm reminded of that dread I had when he'd do the same. I see him in you when you get that streak of determination to do the right thing, even when the world is telling you no. I see him in you when you're up past three in the morning in the lab, working on _something _so you can do what you view as your job easier. I see him in the way you swing Morgan around, or when Morgan's curiosity is burning brighter than the sun." Just as she finished speaking, the front door to the cabin swung open, letting May and Happy's voices drift in. "I see him in both of you, and in the things around us." She patted his knee and stood up from the chair. "He left a damn good legacy, Peter."

Seconds later, Happy and May entered the kitchen, both in good moods from their late night walk. Happy instantly moved towards the cupboards along the wall for a glass, while May hung back, clearly noticing something was wrong with Peter.

(The wetness along his cheeks and redness in his eyes might have given it away.)

She lifted her eyebrows in question. He managed a smile and nodded at her, letting her know that he was okay.

Because that was the truth. _He was okay. _

Satisfied with his answer, May joined Happy in the kitchen. Peter let his head slump backwards, resting it against the back of his chair. He glanced at the florescent lights on the ceiling, a sense of peace bubbling up inside of him.

_I hope I make you proud, Mr. Stark._

Somehow, Peter knew he would.

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**This fic is one I've been wanting to write ever since I seen "Avengers: Endgame," but I wasn't too sure how to approach it exactly.**

**Please note, the quote at the start of this one-shot is from Hamilton. I have seen it used several times regarding edits with Tony and his children, and I think it's so beautiful. One of the themes for this fic is legacy, so I thought it would be fitting.**

**This fic belongs to the series "To Infinity and Beyond," but it can be read as a stand-alone one-shot (which is why I'm only mentioning the series now). If you are interested in reading more fics in this series, visit my profile! I have a list on my profile of which fics belong to the series, and I've put "To Infinity and Beyond series" in each summary.**

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are extremely appreciated.**


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